System and method for fish finding using a sonar device and a remote computing device

ABSTRACT

The present invention generally relates to a fish finding sonar system. Specifically, this invention relates to a sonar device pairing with a remote computing device to provide information to an angler about what is under the surface of the water. Embodiments of the present invention include a sonar device and a remote computing device configured to allow the sonar device to wirelessly communicate with the remote computing device and the remote computing device to connect to a database to register and receive information about real-time fishing hotspots.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a fish finding sonar system.Specifically, this invention relates to a sonar device pairing with aremote computing device to provide information to an angler about whatis under the surface of the water. Certain embodiments of the presentinvention include a sonar device and a remote computing deviceconfigured to allow the sonar device to wirelessly communicate with theremote computing device and the remote computing device to connect to adatabase to register and receive information about real-time fishinghotspots.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For centuries, fishermen have been looking for ways to improve theirchances for catching fish. Over the years, there have been developmentsin lures, rods, reels, and a variety of other equipment that have madefishermen more successful. Over the past two decades, however, fishfinding sonar systems have become increasingly available and fishermenhave taken advantage of the benefits those systems offer.

Fish finding sonar systems are available in a variety of forms andfunctionalities, which give fisherman a broad choice as to what productfits their specific needs. In more recent times, fish finding sonarsystems that can pair the fish finding sonar device together with thenumerous remote computing devices that fishermen and others already useevery day have become available to the public. Such an arrangementallows a fisherman to utilize an already existing display screen ratherthan having to have one that is dedicated to the fish finding sonaralone.

These fish finding sonar devices currently available, however, do havelimitations, specifically in relation to the fish finding sonar devicesthat pair a sonar fish finder with a remote computing device. Currentlyavailable fish finding sonar systems do not offer the capacity forfishermen to track real-time fishing hotspots. Such a limitation candecrease a fisherman's ability to successfully catch fish, as thefisherman is unaware where fish are actually located and therefore mustuse valuable time to search for the fish.

Further, currently available fish finding sonar systems require thatsonar data be processed and manipulated by the remote computing devices.This requires the remote computing device to be configured to receive aconstant or near-constant stream of raw data from a sonar means. Theremote computing device in this configuration is then utilizing asignificant portion of its resources receiving data communications andprocessing raw data into useful data. This utilization of resourceslowers the capacity of the remote computing device to perform othertasks and also works to diminish battery life which is a constant issuewith remote computing devices.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for a fish finding sonar systemand method that does not require the utilization of significantresources on a remote computing device in order to provide useful sonardata to the remote computing device. These and other features andadvantages of the present invention will be explained and will becomeobvious to one skilled in the art through the summary of the inventionthat follows.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide asystem and method for fish finding using sonar and a remote computingdevice whereby the resources of the remote computing device are nottasked by the process.

According to an embodiment of the present invention,

The foregoing summary of the present invention with the preferredembodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention.It should be understood and obvious to one skilled in the art that theembodiments of the invention thus described may be further modifiedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of an embodiment of the sonar device of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a process flow of an exemplary method for finding fish using asonar device and a remote computing device, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a process flow of an exemplary method for generating hotspotinformation, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic overview of a remote computing system, inaccordance with a preferred embodiment on the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a process flow of an exemplary method for generating hotspotinformation, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED SPECIFICATION

The present invention generally relates to a fish finding sonar system.Specifically, this invention relates to a sonar device capable of beingpaired with a remote computing device to provide information to anangler about what is under the surface of the water. Embodiments of thepresent invention include a sonar device and a remote computing deviceconfigured to allow the sonar device to wirelessly communicate with theremote computing device and the remote computing device to connect to aremote computing system to register and receive information aboutreal-time fishing hotspots.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a system for fishfinding may include a sonar device and a remote computing device. Thesystem is designed to assist a fisherman in finding fish that are belowthe surface of the water by communicating information collected by thesonar device to the remote computing device. In addition to or in lieuof sonar data, the sonar device may be configured to collect one or moreforms of information. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciatethat components of the system could be configured to collect a varietyof different information, and embodiments of the present invention arecontemplated for use with any form of collectable information.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the system isconfigured to assist a fisherman in finding fish that are below thesurface of the water by communicating information collected by the sonardevice to a remote computing device. In a preferred embodiment, themethod may be accomplished by collecting information from the one ormore sensors present on or in the sonar device and processing thatinformation on-board the sonar device. That processed information maythen be communicated wirelessly to a remote computing device where theinformation can be displayed on the viewing screen of the remotecomputing device.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a sonar device maybe comprised of a housing, one or more sensors, a processor, a wirelesscommunication means and a power source. Optionally, the sonar device mayfurther include a storage device, an indicator light, an auditory signalor any combination thereof. The one or more sensors of the sonar devicemay include, but are not limited to, a thermometer, a speed sensor, anaccelerometer, or any combination thereof. One of ordinary skill in theart would appreciate that there are numerous types of sensors that couldbe utilized with embodiments of the present invention, and embodimentsof the present invention are contemplated for use with any type ofsensor.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sonar deviceincludes a housing. The housing is configured to retain the sonarsensor, processor, wireless communication means, power source and anyother additional components. In a preferred embodiment, the housing iswaterproof and constructed of plastic so that it will float efficientlyat the surface of the water. One of ordinary skill in the art wouldappreciate that there are numerous sizes, shapes, and materials thatcould be utilized for the housing in the embodiments of the presentinvention and those embodiments of the present invention arecontemplated for use with any of those options.

Referring to FIG. 2, an illustration of an embodiment of the sonardevice of the present invention, is shown. The sonar device includes asonar sensor that sends and receives sonar waves to detect objects inthe water. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that thereare numerous sonar sensors that could be utilized with embodiments ofthe present invention and embodiments of the present invention arecontemplated for use with any sonar sensor.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sonar deviceincludes a processor that is communicatively connected to the sonarsensor. The connection allows the sensor to provide raw sonar sensorinformation to the processor. The processor is configured to compute theraw sonar sensor information received from the sonar sensor andtranslate that information into a usable format. One of ordinary skillin the art would appreciate that there are numerous usable formats thatcould be utilized with embodiments of the present invention, andembodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use with anyusable format.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sonar deviceincludes a means of wireless communication. The wireless communicationmeans is connected to the processor so that the processed informationcan be transmitted to the remote computing device. In a preferredembodiment, the wireless communications means may be Bluetooth LowEnergy (BLE). In other embodiments, wireless communications means mayinclude, but are not limited to, WI-FI, Bluetooth, ZigBee, ANT, cellularmeans (e.g., CDMA, GSM) or any combination thereof. One of ordinaryskill in the art would appreciate that there are numerous wirelesscommunication means that could be utilized with embodiments of thepresent invention, and embodiments of the present invention arecontemplated for use with any wireless communication means.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sonar deviceincludes a power source. The power source provides power to the sonarsensor, processor, and wireless communication means, as well as anyadditional components. In a preferred embodiment, the power source maybe a rechargeable a battery. In certain embodiments, the battery may berechargeable through a wired means. Alternatively, the battery may berecharged through a wireless means. In certain embodiments the powersource may be replaceable. In other embodiments, the power source mayfeature solar recharging or other renewable energy means, including butnot limited to, recharging through salinity and temperature sensors. Oneof ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are numerouspower sources that could be utilized with embodiments of the presentinvention and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated foruse with any power source.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sonar deviceincludes an accelerometer. In one embodiment, the accelerometer may beconfigured to activate the sonar device when the accelerometer detectsthat the sonar device has been cast out on the line of a fishing rod. Inyet another embodiment, the accelerometer may be configured to alert thefisherman that there is a fish at the end of the line through detectionof sudden or rapid movements such as those generated when a fish tugs orotherwise pulls on a fishing line attached to a housing containing orintegrated with the accelerometer. In certain embodiments, anotherpossible configuration could be to incorporate the accelerometer into afishing bobber, so that functionality of the device would be to detectwhether a fish was on the line. One of ordinary skill in the art wouldappreciate that there are numerous functions that could be accomplishedby the accelerometer and embodiments of the present invention arecontemplated for use with any of those functions.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sonar devicemay include a storage device. In one embodiment, the storage device maybe communicatively connected to the processor in order to provide forthe logging of processed information. In another embodiment, the storageunit may also store data in case of a disconnection of wirelesscommunication between the sonar device and the remote computing device.One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there arenumerous storage devices, including hard disk drives, solid statedrives, random access memory, and flash memory, that could be utilizedwith embodiments of the present invention and embodiments of the presentinvention are contemplated for use with any storage device.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sonar devicemay include a thermometer. In a preferred embodiment, a thermometer maysense the temperature of water and/or the air. In another embodiment,the thermometer could be utilized as recharging means for the powersource. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there arenumerous thermometers that could be utilized with embodiments of thepresent invention and embodiments of the present invention arecontemplated for use with any thermometer.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sonar devicemay include a speed sensor. In a preferred embodiment, the speed sensormay be a propeller attached to the housing that could measure the speedof the water when the sonar device is tethered or pulled by thefisherman. One of the ordinary skill in the art would appreciate thatthere are numerous speed sensors that could be utilized with embodimentsof the present invention and embodiments of the present invention arecontemplated for use with any speed sensor.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sonar devicemay include a conductivity sensor. In a preferred embodiment, theconductivity sensor would sense the salinity of the water in which thesonar device is floating. With the salinity of the water known, theinput and/or output of the sonar sensor could be adjusted appropriatelyto account for the differing speeds of a sonar wave in fresh versus saltwater. In another embodiment, the conductivity sensor could be utilizedas recharging means for the power source. One of ordinary skill in theart would appreciate that there are numerous forms and functions thatconductivity sensor might take on and embodiments of the presentinvention are contemplated for use with any of those forms andfunctions.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sonar devicemay include an indicator light to enable a fisherman to more easilyidentify the sonar device in the water. In one embodiment, the indicatorlight could be activated and deactivated remotely from a remotecomputing device. In another embodiment, the indicator light could flashwhen the sonar device becomes disconnected from the remote computingdevice. In yet another preferred embodiment, the indicator light couldbe configured to signal a low battery warning. One of ordinary skill inthe art would appreciate that there are numerous forms and functionsthat indicator light might take on and embodiments of the presentinvention are contemplated for use with any of those forms andfunctions.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sonar devicemay include an auditory signal to assist in locating a sonar device whenvisual contact has been lost. In certain embodiments, the auditorysignal could be activated and deactivated remotely from a remotecomputing device. In another embodiment, the auditory signal could soundwhen the sonar device becomes disconnected from the remote computingdevice. In yet another preferred embodiment, the auditory signal couldbe configured to indicate a low battery. One of ordinary skill in theart would appreciate that there are numerous forms and functions thatthe auditory signal might take on and embodiments of the presentinvention are contemplated for use with any of those forms andfunctions.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the remotecomputing device may include a wireless communication means and aviewing means. Examples of remote computing devices include, but are notlimited to, smartphones, tablet PCs, and laptops. One of ordinary skillin the art would appreciate that there are numerous remote computingdevices that may be utilized with embodiments of the present invention,and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use withany remote computing device.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the remotecomputing device includes a means of wireless communication. Thewireless communication means allows the remote computing device to havebidirectional communication with the sonar device. In a preferredembodiment, the wireless communications means may be Bluetooth LowEnergy (BLE). One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate thatthere are numerous wireless communication means that could be utilizedwith embodiments of the present invention and embodiments of the presentinvention are contemplated for use with any wireless communicationmeans.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the communicationmeans of the remote computing device might include access to one or morelocal area networks (LAN) or wide area networks (WAN) (e.g., theInternet). Access to remote networks, such as the Internet, could allowthe remote computing device to upload information collected from thesonar device to the remote computing system where it could be processedfor use by other fisherman and/or stored for other uses.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the remotecomputing device includes a viewing screen. The viewing screen allowsthe remote computing device to display the information collected by thesonar device to the fisherman.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the remotecomputing device does not include a viewing screen. In a preferredembodiment, such a remote computing device could be an additional sonardevice or series of sonar devices that are communicatively linkedtogether. The sonar devices would then collectively communicate withanother remote computing device with a viewing screen (e.g., smartphone)to generate a larger sample of information than would one sonar deviceon its own.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the remotecomputing device might include a global position system (“GPS”). In apreferred embodiment, the GPS could allow a fisherman to locate fishinghotspots or record locations identified by the sonar device as potentialfishing hotspots. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate thatthere are numerous functions that could be accomplished by GPS andembodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use with anyof those functions.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the remotecomputing device might include a camera. In a preferred embodiment, thecamera could be used to allow a fisherman to photograph the fish and/orthe fishing location. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciatethat there are numerous forms and functions that the camera might takeon and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated for usewith any of those forms and functions.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the system hereindescribed is configured to allow a fisherman to more easily locate andcatch fish. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, thesonar device is wirelessly paired with the remote computing device. Thefisherman could then secure a fishing line to the sonar device and castit into the water. The sonar device, sensing that it was cast (e.g.,through the use of an onboard accelerometer, or through rapid change inthe signal strength between the communications means of the sonar deviceand the communication means of the remote computing device), could thenbegin to collect information. Information, including, but not limitedto, the presence of fish, bottom depth, water temperature, and airtemperature, would be collected and processed on-board the sonar device.The processed information would then be communicated to the remotecomputing device via a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connection.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sonar device isconfigured to process the data from one or more sensors on board thesonar device. In this configuration, the sonar device is configured tohandle processing of the raw sensor data from the one or more sensorsinto a format usable by one or more remote computing devices and encodethe information for transmission to such remote computing devices inorder to minimize the bandwidth used by the communications means of thesonar device and the various remote computing devices when sending theinformation to the remote computing device(s). In a preferredembodiment, on board data processing could be used to assist the sonardevice in achieving more efficient power consumption. The sonar devicewould use power more efficiently by processing information from the oneor more sensors on-board the device. More specifically, the sonar devicecould be configured to enter a low energy mode until sensor activity isdetected. In a preferred embodiment the fisherman would be able to setthe threshold level that is required before the sonar device becomesfully active for one or more of the one or more sensors present on thesonar device. When sensor activity reaches or exceeds the determinedthreshold level, the sonar device exits lower energy mode and wouldbegin to process the sensor data and communicate information to theremote computing device.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the remotecomputing device could receive processed information from the sonardevice via the communication means on the remote computing device. Theinformation received from the sonar device could then be displayed onthe viewing screen of the remote computing device. The viewing screencould display information including, but not limited to, the depth ofthe water, the presence of fish, the size of the fish present, the depthof the fish, the temperature of the water, as well as other featurespresent in the water. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciatethat there are numerous types of information that could be displayed onthe viewing screen, and embodiments of the present invention arecontemplated for use with the display of any type of information. In apreferred embodiment, the remote computing device could pair to multiplesonar devices dynamically, concurrently, or any combination thereof.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sonar devicemay be used for synthetic aperture sonar imaging. In a preferredembodiment, the sonar device could be pulled in some fashion including,but not limited to, by hand, by fishing reel, or by boat, over an areaof water to collect data over that area. The collected data could thenbe analyzed to create a continuous sonar image of the area over whichthe sonar device was pulled.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the embodiment thatincludes synthetic aperture sonar imaging requires that the sonar devicebe pulled at a knowable speed. In one embodiment of the presentinvention, the speed at which the sonar device is being pulled may becalculated based upon the rate at which the sonar device is being reeledin. In this embodiment, the reeling rate may be determined in a numberof ways, including, but not limited to, a speedometer on the reel orcalculation based upon the cranking ratio of the reel. In anotherembodiment, the speed of the sonar device may be measured by a flowsensor on the sonar device. One of ordinary skill in the art wouldappreciate that there are numerous means by which the speed of the sonardevice could be calculated and embodiments of the present invention arecontemplated for use with any of those means.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the remotecomputing device may be used to track and locate fishing hotspotsthrough the provision and receipt of information to/from a remotecomputing system. In a preferred embodiment, the remote computing systemcomprises a server communicatively connected to one or more LANs or WANsand thereby communicatively connected to one or more remote computingdevices. In certain embodiments, the remote computing system may receiveinformation, including, but not limited to, location information (e.g.,GPS coordinates, cellular triangulation data, manually entered locationinformation), the presence of fish as identified by one or more sensorsassociated with one or more sonar devices, water temperature, weatherconditions, time and date, and pictures. In a preferred embodiment, suchinformation is provided by, the remote computing device, the sonardevice or any combination thereof.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the remotecomputing system could place the information it receives into a centraldata store (e.g., database) communicatively connected to the remotecomputing system. The remote computing system may further be configuredto utilize information provided to it from the remote computing devicesand sonar devices to generate information regarding various fishinglocations. For instance, the remote computing system could utilizeinformation received from the aforementioned sources to develop“hotspot” data identifying whether certain locations are particularlygood or poor choices for fishing. This hotspot information may be basedon any number of criteria, including, but not limited to, time of day,time of year, average size of fish, water temperature, tidefluctuations, or any combination thereof. One of ordinary skill in theart would appreciate that there are numerous types of data that may beutilized in developing hotspots, and embodiments of the presentinvention are contemplated for use with any type of data.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, once the hotspotinformation is generated, the remote computing system may be configuredto transmit hotspot information to one or more remote computing devices,thereby allowing fishermen to locate, in real-time, the best place tofish. The more information the remote computing system is provided on alocation, the more confidently the remote computing system can identifylocations were other fishermen have had the most successful fishing orsensors have identified the most number of fish, fish of a certain sizeor other criteria associated with a hotspot.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the remotecomputing system may also assist in the recovery of a lost sonar device.In a preferred embodiment, the remote computing system would receive anotification from a fisherman that a sonar device has been lost. Theremote computing system could then send a notice to other fishermen thatare connected to or otherwise utilizing the remote computing system thatinforms those fishermen of the lost sonar device. If and when the sonardevice is found, it may be returned to the proper owner based on theunique identification number of the sonar device that is recorded whenthe sonar device is initially registered with the remote computingsystem.

Referring to FIG. 5, a schematic overview of a remote computing systemaccording to a preferred embodiment is shown. In this embodiment, aremote computing system comprises a remote computing device interface501, a reasoning engine 502, and one or more data stores 503.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the remotecomputing system includes a remote computing device interface 501. In apreferred embodiment, the remote computing device interface would be anapplication programming interface (“API”) or other interface capable ofreceiving information from and transmitting information to a remotecomputing device. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate thatthere are numerous types of remote computing device interfaces 502 thatmight be utilized with embodiments of the present invention, andembodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use with anytype of remote computing device interface.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the remotecomputing system employs a reasoning engine 502. In a preferredembodiment, the reasoning engine 502 receives and analyzes various datapoints from sources including, but not limited to, one or more datastores 503, a sonar device, one or more remote computing deviceinterfaces 501 and the internet to generate hotspot information.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the reasoningengine determines what points of fishing data are available. Fishingdata points may include, but are not limited to, fish activity, watertemperature, water depth, water salinity, air temperature, weatherconditions, location, and lunar phase. The reasoning engine could thencreate an independent variable from each available point of fishingdata. In a preferred embodiment, the reasoning engine would be able todetermine what points of fishing data are available from a variety ofsources, including, but not limited to, the data store 503 of the remotecomputing system, data collected in real-time by one or more sonardevices, and the internet.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the reasoningengine can generate an initial base model based upon the availablefishing data points. Each available point of fishing data (or any subsetthereof) could be assigned as an independent variable that could be usedfor the purposes of generating hotspot information. The reasoning enginewould generate hotspot information by comparing real-time fishing datapoints to those of the initial base model. As with the initial basemodel, the real-time fishing data points could be collected frommultiple sources, including but not limited to one or more sonar devicesand the internet.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the remotecomputing system may include one or more data stores 503 configured tostore data points and transmit data points to a reasoning engine 502 ora remote computing device interface 501. In a preferred embodiment, thedata store would further be configured to log data related to hotspotinformation generated by the reasoning engine 502. One of ordinary skillin the art would appreciate that there are numerous types of data storesthat might be utilized with the remote computing system, and embodimentsof the present invention are contemplated for use with any type of datastore.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method forgenerating hotspot information is provided. The method is intended toidentify predicted fishing trends for given locations to a fisherman.The method is accomplished by analyzing past and present values ofvarious data points and generating hotspot information based upon thatanalysis. Data points for use in generating hotspot information mayinclude, but are not limited to, fish activity, water temperature, waterdepth, water salinity, air temperature, weather conditions, location,and lunar phase. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate thatthere are numerous types of data points that could be utilized togenerate hotspot information, and embodiments of the present inventionare contemplated for use with any type of data points.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hotspotinformation may be logged in a data store for later use and retrieval bythe system. In a preferred embodiment, the hotspot information would besaved in the data store for future use by the system where historicaldata could be used to validate or improve upon newly added or receivedinformation about one or more hotspots. One of ordinary skill in the artwould appreciate that there are numerous methods for logging hotspotinformation in a data store and embodiments of the present invention arecontemplated for use with any such method for logging hotspotinformation.

Exemplary Embodiments

The following is an exemplary embodiment of a method of finding fishusing a sonar device and a remote computing device, as show in FIG. 3.At step 300, the sonar device is prepared for deployment by securing afishing line to the sonar device.

At step 301, the sonar device is placed into the water. The sonar devicecan be placed into the water via casting with a fishing rod or deployedby hand.

At step 302, the sonar device will send sonar pulses into the water todetect the presence of fish. The sonar pulses are generally generated bythe sonar sensor onboard the sonar device.

At step 303, the sonar device does not detect any fish and goes into alow energy state until the presence of fish is detected. In this lowenergy state, the sonar sensor continues to operate by sending out sonarpulses until such time as fish are detected by the sonar sensor.

At step 304, the sonar device detects the presence of fish and, if inlow energy mode, returns to fully functional state. The sonar sensorcontinuously sends sonar pulses and creates raw sonar data from anyreturns. Exiting of the low energy mode may also include activatingvarious other sensors on the sonar device and the processor such that itis actively awaiting the raw sonar data from the sonar sensor.

At step 305, the raw sonar data is received from the sonar sensor by theprocessor on board the sonar device. The raw sonar data may be receivedby the processor, for instance, as a stream of data or in batches. Oneof ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are numerousways in which the raw sonar data may be received by the processor, andembodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use with anyform of receiving raw sonar data at the processor.

At step 306, the raw sonar data from the sonar sensor is processed onboard the sonar device by the processor. The raw sonar data is processedand encoded to produce processed sonar data in which the variouselements of the raw sonar data are converted into useful representationsof the relevant information contained in the raw sonar data (e.g.,number of fish present, size of fish identified).

At step 307, the processed sonar data is communicated by the wirelesscommunication means of the sonar device to the wireless communicationmeans of the remote computing device. As noted above, the preferredembodiment for a wireless communication means is Bluetooth Low Energy(BLE). However, the processed sonar data may be transmitted via any formof wireless communication means.

At step 308, the remote computing device has received the processedsonar data and displays the processed sonar data on the displaycomponent of the remote computing device. As noted above, the remotecomputing device can take a variety of forms.

At step 309, the process terminates. Alternatively, the process can loopback to step 302 until the sonar device is power off or is removed fromthe water.

The following is an exemplary embodiment of a method for generatinghotspot information, as shown in FIG. 4. At step 400, the processinitiates with the remote computing device receiving processed sonardata from the sonar device.

At step 401, the remote computing device communicates processed sonardata to the remote computing system. The remote computing system iscapable of receiving such data from one or more remote computingdevices.

At step 402, the remote computing system analyzes the processed sonardata that it has received from one or more remote computing devices. Theremote computing system analyzes the data to ascertain what fish spotsare the most active and productive based on preconfigured criteria seton the remote computing system.

At step 403, the remote computing system generates hotspot informationbased upon the analysis of the processed sonar data it received from oneor more remote computing devices. The hotspot information could include,but is not limited to, fishing spot location, number and size of fishpresent, water depth, temperature, and current weather. The data that iscollected can be viewed in real-time so that a fisherman can get themost current information as to where the best fishing locations are.Additionally, the remote computing system can catalog the informationthat it receives so historical trends can be analyzed by the system inorder to develop probabilistic and deterministic analysis of varioushotspot locations.

At step 404, the remote computing system communicates the hotspotinformation to one or more remote computing devices. The delivery ofhotspot information can be pushed to various remote computing devices orotherwise requested by various remote computing devices based on searchcriteria or other request criteria.

At step 405, the process terminates. Alternatively, process can continueas long as one or more remote computing devices are in communicationwith the remote computing system.

The following is an exemplary embodiment of a method for generatinghotspot information, as shown in FIG. 6. At step 601, the processinitiates with the reasoning engine determining what points of fishingdata are available. Available data points include, but are not limitedto, the presence of fish, water temperature, water depth, airtemperature, and location.

At step 602, the reasoning engine creates an independent variable foreach of the available fishing data points. The available data points canbe the time real-time fishing data collected by the sonar device or fromhistorical fishing data logged in a data store.

At step 603, the reasoning engine generates an initial base model. Theinitial base model can be generated from the real time fishing datacollected by the sonar device or the fishing data logged in the datastore.

At step 604, the reasoning engine compares the initial base model toreal-time fishing data collected by the sonar device.

At step 605, the reasoning engine generates hotspot information based onthe comparison of the initial base model and the real-time fishing data.Portions of the hotspot information may identify and predict fishingtrends for fishing locations.

At step 606, the process terminates. The hotspot information that hasbeen generated can be logged in the data store for future reference.

Throughout this disclosure and elsewhere, block diagrams and flowchartillustrations depict methods, apparatuses (i.e., systems), and computerprogram products. Each element of the block diagrams and flowchartillustrations, as well as each respective combination of elements in theblock diagrams and flowchart illustrations, illustrates a function ofthe methods, apparatuses, and computer program products. Any and allsuch functions (“depicted functions”) can be implemented by computerprogram instructions; by special-purpose, hardware-based computersystems; by combinations of special purpose hardware and computerinstructions; by combinations of general purpose hardware and computerinstructions; and so on—any and all of which may be generally referredto herein as a “circuit,” “module,” or “system.”

While the foregoing drawings and description set forth functionalaspects of the disclosed systems, no particular arrangement of softwarefor implementing these functional aspects should be inferred from thesedescriptions unless explicitly stated or otherwise clear from thecontext.

Each element in flowchart illustrations may depict a step, or group ofsteps, of a computer-implemented method. Further, each step may containone or more sub-steps. For the purpose of illustration, these steps (aswell as any and all other steps identified and described above) arepresented in order. It will be understood that an embodiment can containan alternate order of the steps adapted to a particular application of atechnique disclosed herein. All such variations and modifications areintended to fall within the scope of this disclosure. The depiction anddescription of steps in any particular order is not intended to excludeembodiments having the steps in a different order, unless required by aparticular application, explicitly stated, or otherwise clear from thecontext.

Traditionally, a computer program consists of a finite sequence ofcomputational instructions or program instructions. It will beappreciated that a programmable apparatus (i.e., computing device) canreceive such a computer program and, by processing the computationalinstructions thereof, produce a further technical effect.

A programmable apparatus includes one or more microprocessors,microcontrollers, embedded microcontrollers, programmable digital signalprocessors, programmable devices, programmable gate arrays, programmablearray logic, memory devices, application specific integrated circuits,or the like, which can be suitably employed or configured to processcomputer program instructions, execute computer logic, store computerdata, and so on. Throughout this disclosure and elsewhere a computer caninclude any and all suitable combinations of at least one generalpurpose computer, special-purpose computer, programmable data processingapparatus, processor, processor architecture, and so on.

It will be understood that a remote computing device, remote computingsystem or other computer can include a computer-readable storage mediumand that this medium may be internal or external, removable andreplaceable, or fixed. It will also be understood that a computer caninclude a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), firmware, an operatingsystem, a database, or the like that can include, interface with, orsupport the software and hardware described herein.

Embodiments of the system as described herein are not limited toapplications involving conventional computer programs or programmableapparatuses that run them. It is contemplated, for example, thatembodiments of the invention as claimed herein could include an opticalcomputer, quantum computer, analog computer, or the like.

Regardless of the type of computer program or computer involved, acomputer program can be loaded onto a computer to produce a particularmachine that can perform any and all of the depicted functions. Thisparticular machine provides a means for carrying out any and all of thedepicted functions.

Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may beutilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signalmedium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readablestorage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic,magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system,apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Morespecific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readablestorage medium would include the following: an electrical connectionhaving one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, arandom access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber,a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storagedevice, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storagemedium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a programfor use by or in connection with an instruction execution system,apparatus, or device.

Computer program instructions can be stored in a computer-readablememory capable of directing a computer or other programmable dataprocessing apparatus to function in a particular manner. Theinstructions stored in the computer-readable memory constitute anarticle of manufacture including computer-readable instructions forimplementing any and all of the depicted functions.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium thatis not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmittedusing any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless,wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination ofthe foregoing.

The elements depicted in flowchart illustrations and block diagramsthroughout the figures imply logical boundaries between the elements.However, according to software or hardware engineering practices, thedepicted elements and the functions thereof may be implemented as partsof a monolithic software structure, as standalone software modules, oras modules that employ external routines, code, services, and so forth,or any combination of these. All such implementations are within thescope of the present disclosure.

In view of the foregoing, it will now be appreciated that elements ofthe block diagrams and flowchart illustrations support combinations ofmeans for performing the specified functions, combinations of steps forperforming the specified functions, program instruction means forperforming the specified functions, and so on.

It will be appreciated that computer program instructions may includecomputer executable code. A variety of languages for expressing computerprogram instructions are possible, including without limitation C, C++,Java, JavaScript, assembly language, Lisp, and so on. Such languages mayinclude assembly languages, hardware description languages, databaseprogramming languages, functional programming languages, imperativeprogramming languages, and so on. In some embodiments, computer programinstructions can be stored, compiled, or interpreted to run on acomputer, a programmable data processing apparatus, a heterogeneouscombination of processors or processor architectures, and so on. Withoutlimitation, embodiments of the system as described herein can take theform of web-based computer software, which includes client/serversoftware, software-as-a-service, peer-to-peer software, or the like.

In some embodiments, a computer enables execution of computer programinstructions including multiple programs or threads. The multipleprograms or threads may be processed more or less simultaneously toenhance utilization of the processor and to facilitate substantiallysimultaneous functions. By way of implementation, any and all methods,program codes, program instructions, and the like described herein maybe implemented in one or more thread. The thread can spawn otherthreads, which can themselves have assigned priorities associated withthem. In some embodiments, a computer can process these threads based onpriority or any other order based on instructions provided in theprogram code.

Unless explicitly stated or otherwise clear from the context, the verbs“execute” and “process” are used interchangeably to indicate execute,process, interpret, compile, assemble, link, load, any and allcombinations of the foregoing, or the like. Therefore, embodiments thatexecute or process computer program instructions, computer-executablecode, or the like can suitably act upon the instructions or code in anyand all of the ways just described.

The functions and operations presented herein are not inherently relatedto any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general-purposesystems may also be used with programs in accordance with the teachingsherein, or it may prove convenient to construct more specializedapparatus to perform the required method steps. The required structurefor a variety of these systems will be apparent to those of skill in theart, along with equivalent variations. In addition, embodiments of theinvention are not described with reference to any particular programminglanguage. It is appreciated that a variety of programming languages maybe used to implement the present teachings as described herein, and anyreferences to specific languages are provided for disclosure ofenablement and best mode of embodiments of the invention. Embodiments ofthe invention are well suited to a wide variety of computer networksystems over numerous topologies. Within this field, the configurationand management of large networks include storage devices and computersthat are communicatively coupled to dissimilar computers and storagedevices over a network, such as the Internet.

While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of thepresent invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art fromthis detailed description. The invention is capable of myriadmodifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings anddescriptions are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and notrestrictive.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A fish detection system comprising: a sonarfishing float, and a remote computing system; wherein said sonar fishingfloat comprises: a sonar sensor, a wireless communication means, a powersource, and a housing; wherein said housing is configured to retain saidsonar sensor, said wireless communications means, and said power source;wherein said wireless communication means is configured to transmitsonar data received from said sonar sensor; and wherein said remotecomputing system is configured to: receive said sonar data; receivegeographic location data corresponding to said sonar data; and determinehotspot information based at least on a geographic location associatedwith a fish location data.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said sonardevice further comprises a speed sensor.
 3. The system of claim 2,wherein said sonar device uses synthetic aperture sonar imaging.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein said wireless communications means uses acommunication standard defined by an IEEE 802 wireless communicationsstandard.
 5. A computer implemented method for fish finding using sonarand a remote computing system, the method comprising: collecting sonardata at a sonar sensor of a sonar device; transmitting said sonar data;receiving, at a remote computing system, said sonar data; receiving, atsaid remote computing system, geographic location data corresponding tosaid sonar data; analyzing said geographic location data and said sonardata at said remote computing system to determine fishing hotspotinformation.
 6. A computer implemented method for determining fishinghotspot information based on reflected energy data, the methodcomprising the steps of: receiving, at a remote computing system, dataof fish found; receiving, at said remote computing system, geographiclocation data corresponding to where said data of fish found wascollected; and correlating, at said remote computing system, said dataof fish found and said geographic location data to determine fishinghotspot information.
 7. The method of claim 6 wherein said data of fishfound is raw unprocessed data collected by a reflected energy dataacquisition device.
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein said reflectedenergy data acquisition device is a sonar device.
 9. The method of claim8 wherein said sonar device is a sonar fishing float.
 10. The method ofclaim 6 wherein said data of fish found is data identifying the locationof one or more fish.
 11. The method of claim 10 where said location ofone or more fish comprises the water depth at which one or more fish wasfound.
 12. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of sendingsaid fishing hotspot information to one or more mobile computingdevices.
 13. The computer implemented method of claim 6 furthercomprising the steps of: receiving fishing data points; creating anindependent variable for each fishing data point; generating ahistorical base model based on said correlation of geographic locationand data of fish found and additionally on one or more of saidindependent variables; receiving current fishing data points; comparingsaid current fishing data points to similar fishing data points in saidhistorical base model; determining a predicted fishing hotspot for ageographic location based on at least one of said current additionalfishing data points.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising thestep of sending said predicted fishing hotspot to one or more mobilecomputing devices.